The Barry Sax Show

An interview with renowned French saxophone Quartet, Quatuor Ellipsos with members Julien BRECHET, Nicolas HERROUET, Sylvain JARRY and Paul-Fathi LACOMBE.

A podcast interview with Preston Duncan, an American saxophone performer and educator and professor at the University of Minnesota.

An interview with British saxophonist and broadcaster, YolanDa Brown.

The Barry Sax Show

Jean‑François Guay studied at McGill University in Montreal and at the Conservatory of Bordeaux, France, where he received his gold medal under the direction of Jean‑Marie Londeix. He also holds a Masters in performance from Laval University in Quebec.

In 2000, Jean-François was the director of the 12th World Saxophone Congress held in Montreal, Canada. A specialist in contemporary music, Jean‑François Guay has commissioned numerous works for the saxophone.

He is currently a professor of saxophone at CÉGEP Marie‑Victorin in Montreal and the University of Montreal. Jean-François is the founding member of the Nelligan Saxophone Quartet which was formed in 1994 with the mandate to showcase the contemporary and classical repertoire for the saxophone.

Show Notes: Organising the 12th World Saxophone Congress. Fundraising for saxophone events. The silence after the intensity of a large event. Starting the Association des Saxophonistes du Québec. Bringing Canadian saxophonists together. Getting to know the world's saxophone players. Limited Canadian opportunities for saxophone and orchestra. Getting started playing the tuba. Learning with teachers Rémi Ménard, Abe Kestenberg and Jean-Marie Londeix. Having encouraging and critical teachers. Squeezing in practice around other activities. Learning to be efficient out of necessity. Thoughts on working from memory. Keeping fit for a long career. Recordings as a documentation process. The importance of living a rich life. Teaching at Cégep Marie-Victorin and the Université de Montréal. Working with great Canadian composers. The importance of playing good music. The Art of Fugue. The joy of being with people. Focussing on the task and not the risk. Always be over-prepared. Exciting new projects coming up. Being part of an orchestra but feeling apart. Having a fire inside of me!

The Barry Sax Show

Alain Crepin, a many-sided musician, was born in 1954 in Mettet (Belgium). He is founder of the Adolphe Sax International Competition held in Dinant, Belgium and since 2005 has been president of the jury.

At first he studied saxophone, cello and piano in Dinant and later, he went to study the saxophone with François Daneels at the Royal Brussels Conservatory of Music.

For 21 years he was the musical director of the Royal Symphonic Band of the Belgian Air Force. King Albert II promoted Alain Crepin to the rank of major and later he was appointed the artistic director of all the bands of the Belgian Army.

He is professor of saxophone at the Royal Brussels Conservatory of Music and professor of orchestration and conducting at the Conservatory of Music of Esch-sur-Alzette (Grand Duchy of Luxemburg).

As a composer, Alain Crepin has written numerous works for symphonic band as well as many solo instrumental pieces with piano accompaniment. Many of these compositions have been recorded on CD and he is published in Belgium, France and The Netherlands.

As a soloist or conductor, he has recorded some 60 compact discs and performed all over the world.

Show Notes: The development of the Adolphe Sax International Competition. Helping young saxophone players. The town of Dinant, the birthplace of Adolphe Sax. Sponsors and funding for large events. To be good saxophonist, you have, at first, to be a good musician. Listening to over 500 candidates for a competition. Conducting the Belgian airforce bands. A typical teaching week in Brussels. If you don't have a great start, you will never be great. Being director of bands for the Belgian Airforce. Being prepared for anything at a concert. Keeping fit to help the saxophone playing. Recording 60 albums. The importance of playing in chamber ensembles. Loving the work that you do. The possibility of legacy in music. Working with Belgian composers. Keeping a positive frame of mind. Loving wine, music and friends. Thoughts on retirement and the future.

The Barry Sax Show

Debra Richtmeyer, an internationally renowned saxophonist and pedagogue, has been Professor of Saxophone at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign since 1991 and has performed as a soloist and clinician in North America, Europe, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Thailand and China. She has performed or recorded as a concerto soloist with numerous bands and orchestras, including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Slovak Radio Orchestra, The Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the United States Navy Band. She was principal saxophonist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra from 1981-1991 and with the St. Louis Symphony from 1992-2002. She is Past-President and Honorary Life Member of the North American Saxophone Alliance and an Artist/Clinician for Conn-Selmer Incorporated.

Debra has premiered commissioned works at eight World Saxophone Congresses and four North American Saxophone Alliance Conferences. In 1997 in Valencia, Spain she became the first woman to be invited to perform a concerto with orchestra at a World Saxophone Congress. In 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand, she became the first woman to be invited to give a master class at a World Saxophone Congress.

Prior to her appointment at the University of Illinois, Professor Richtmeyer was a saxophone professor at the University of North Texas and an instructor at Lawrence Conservatory. She received her degrees from Northwestern University where she was a Teaching Assistant and student of Dr Frederick L. Hemke.

Richtmeyer’s students and former students are leaders in the next generation of classical saxophonists and teachers.

Show Notes: Getting started on curved soprano in a family of musicians. Hearing Hemke perform live for the first time. Learning with my parents, Larry Combs and Fred Hemke. Learning to be my own artist. Helping students to teach themselves. Needing competition for motivation. Increasing the practice hours to develop a foundation. Decreasing the practice hours with a foundation. Teaching efficiency for students to increase their learning speed. Breaking down music to learn it fast through correct repetition. Listening from the heart. How to write a book. Advising the Committee on the Status of Women in the Saxophone. Building awareness of minorities in music. Being the first woman to perform a concerto and give a masterclass at a world saxophone congress. Making tough musical choices when life gets busy. Learning to say no. Working with composers. Keeping in touch with former students. The source of original interpretation. Using recordings without being overly influenced by them. Practising with artistic intention. Improvising at home. Effortless to make music sound better. Directing energy to an audience. Building endurance with breaks. Embracing the possibility of failure as a learning process by stepping outside your comfort zone.

The Barry Sax Show

About Derek Brown:

From his 30+ million views across social media to his appearance on international television and NPR’s Weekend Edition, Billboard-charting saxophonist/innovator Derek Brown and his one-of-a-kind solo “BEATBoX SAX” project have been exploding across the world music scene.

Derek has performed solo concerts in all 50 United States and over 25 countries around the world. Known for his boundless energy on stage, creative audience interaction, and musical depth, Derek’s live shows always surprise and delight. His ongoing “BEATBoX SAX” music videos and tutorials on YouTube have been enormously popular among saxophonists and music lovers alike with over 100,000 Youtube subscriptions.

Previously the director of jazz studies at Abilene Christian University for six years, Derek received his BM in Music Performance (Classical and Jazz) from Hope College in 2006 and his MM in Jazz Studies at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music in 2008.

Crossing genres from jazz to classical to funk, without looping or electronic effects, saxophone innovator Derek Brown’s unique playing style must be seen in person to be believed!

Show Notes: 50 state tour of the USA in an RV. Getting started in the school band. Listening to Kenny G. 6 years teaching at Abilene Christian University. Working out what makes me unique. There will always be someone practising more than me. Avoiding competition in music. How to use youtube to boost your career. As a student, being encouraged to explore. Early struggles with self-esteem. Smaller schools allowed me to have more responsibility. I felt lost in my mid-20s. Staying one day ahead of the students. The importance of variety and contrast. The composition process and coming up with ideas. Practise routines when not on tour. Practising in the RV while driving. Hearing my own compositions played by students. Thoughts on self-publishing. Promoting music through social media. 90% of a career is music business, 10% craft. You're can’t please everybody. Making video tutorials. Viral videos. The most effective social channels. Posting but not scrolling on social media. Post and get off. The importance of a website to keep control of your content. How to organise your day. Tips on preparing for a performance. Future plans.

The Barry Sax Show

About Javier Zalba

Javier Zalba graduated from the National School of Art, in 1976, specialising in clarinet. Later he studied flute and the full range of saxophones in classical, jazz and Cuban styles.

His early training as a clarinetist helped to develop his love of chamber music and he later became interested in jazz. As a Cuban, the range of popular rhythms of the Island has been an important influence on him.

His arrival at the legendary Cuban Modern Music Orchestra in 1978, at only 23 years old, opened the doors to his extensive career. He has performed Concertos by Mozart and by Bach, worked with the Irakere group, Cubanismo, Afrojazz, Tropicana Cabaret Orchestra and perhaps most well-known internationally, the Buena Vista Social Club.

He works as a professor at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory and at the Superior Institute of Art.

He has given master classes and workshops in Colombia, Denmark, Spain, England, and Switzerland and as a composer and pedagogical author, has published many books with Advance Music and Edition Gruber.

Show Notes: Too old to study the violin. Getting starting with Enrique Pardo and Roberto Sanchez Lopez. An early career starting with Orquesta Cubana De Música Moderna. Doubling on woodwinds. The importance of playing in ensembles. Having respect for the audience. Listening to a wide variety of music. Getting my hands on the first jazz books to learn without a teacher. Meeting with Michael Brecker. Writing my first books for learning Cuban music. The importance of being published. Working with Buena Vista Social Club. Loving music books. Putting sound first. Finally having access to the internet.

The Barry Sax Show

Paul Cohen is one of America's most sought-after saxophonists for orchestral and chamber concerts and solo recitals. He has appeared as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, Richmond Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, New York Virtuosi, Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony and the Philharmonia Virtuosi. His many solo orchestra performances include works by Debussy, Creston, Ibert, Glazunov, Martin, Loeffler, Husa, Dahl, Still, Villa-Lobos, Tomasi, and Cowell.

He has also performed with a broad range of orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, New Jersey Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Long Island Philharmonic, Group for Contemporary Music, Greenwich Symphony, Charleston Symphony, New York Solisti, and the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra.

Dr. Cohen is on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music, Rutgers University, Queens College and New York University.

Dr. Cohen holds M.M and DMA degrees from Manhattan School of Music. His teachers have included Galan Kral, Joe Allard, and Sigurd Rascher.

He has published more than 100 articles on the history and literature of the saxophone in music journals such as the Saxophone Journal, Instrumentalist, CBDNA Notes, Clarinet and Saxophone Society Magazine of Great Britain, The Grainger Society Journal, and the Saxophone Symposium, and since 1985 a feature column, “Vintage Saxophones Revisited,” for the Saxophone Journal.

Combining his musicological pursuits with performing activities, Dr. Cohen has rediscovered and performed lost saxophone literature, including solo works for saxophone and orchestra by Loeffler, Florio and Dahl (for winds), as well as rare chamber works by Grainger, Ornstein, Sousa, Cowell, Siegmeister, and Loeffler.

His company, To the Fore Publishers, publishes his arrangements and settings for saxophone ensemble as well as original, historical, and contemporary saxophone works from selected composers. Dr. Cohen frequently presents lectures on the saxophone, illustrating his talks with rare instruments, manuscripts, and archival material from his extensive private collection.

About Paul Cohen: The Paul Cohen saxophone collection. Starting out as a chemistry major. Choosing music because it is a passion. Working eight days a week. The satisfaction of students learning something new. The musical level of saxophonists is not rising as fast as the technical and tonal aspects. Learning with an orchestral oboist. Learning with Joe Allard and Sigurd Raschèr. Working on the Dahl concerto. Having a unique way of teaching. The importance of the flexibility of tone production. Productive practising in the middle of the night. Never playing from memory. Joe Allard and tone production. Learning to play vintage mouthpieces and equipment. Learning adaptability at a young age. Practising in short bursts. Allowing a few days to learn a passage. An organically evolving career. Dividing lessons into three parts. Teaching on the weekends. The importance of working with composers. Doing non-jazz improvisation. Avoiding long tones. Achieving orchestral parody of the saxophone. Sounding the same on any mouthpiece. Mistakes are inevitable as part of our humanity. Current and future projects.

The Barry Sax Show

Todd Yukumoto is lecturer of Saxophone at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa where he teaches applied saxophone and directs the University of Hawai’i Saxophone Choir. He is also saxophonist in the Royal Hawaiian Band, the only full-time municipal band in the United States.

Todd received a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Music Education from the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa and went on to receive a Master’s degree in Saxophone Performance from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied with world-renowned classical saxophonist Harvey Pittel.

He has performed with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, the Austin Civic Orchestra, the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra and as a versatile jazz musician, also performs with local and visiting artists. He has played regularly with the well-known Hawaiin rock band, Kalapana and has released several commercial recordings.

Todd founded the not-for-profit Hawaii Saxophone Foundation with a mission to raise the level of awareness and education of the saxophone (with the emphasis to classical music) in Hawaii.

Show Notes: Band was very popular in school and I loved it. There were not many teachers available to start with. Originally I wanted to be a band director. Studying with Harvey Pittel and his influence in Hawaii. Hearing the West Point Band saxophone quartet. The importance of being flexible as a player. If it involves the saxophone, I'm happy. In music, you need as many life experiences as possible. Taking care of business. Focus on what is at hand at the time. Day job with the Royal Hawaiian Band. Practise routines for a busy lifestyle. Playing without tension for a long healthy career. Developing a career without a plan. The importance of working with composers. Being isolated on an island. The more experiences you get for yourself, the more you have to offer. Great, melodic, beautiful saxophone playing should always be with us.